The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-03-12
CASTLE ETTRICK.
An Old Soldiers Love
Story.

ECoNTNUED.
As for Lefty, it was natural that she
should be interested in him. He did not
mean it subtly, but if he had artfully cal
culated his conduct beforehand, be could
not have adopted course more certain to
win her. And when his manner toward
her began 10 be marked by peculiar
gentleness; when she saw in the eyes that
on rare occasions sought hers, n sunny
brightness, for which nothing but the sym
patty between their unspoken thoughts
could account, a new feeling, and one
which she did not try to understand, took
possession of her. He became her hero.
She set him up on pedestal of her own.
and her innocent girlish heart bowed down
before him.
This was the condition of things when,
one evening, early in December, after an
unusually long absence, Captain Winstan-
ley appeared suddenly at the Castle. He
looked much paler than was ordinary with
him, and there was an agitation IN his man
ner which aroused his mothers anxiety.
After they had dined, she called him
into her boudoir, and for more than an hour
they were shut up together. 1t was n pain
full interview to both of them. When Lady
Flora heard of her sons latest fancy;
heard that his love had passed from a rich
girl, who had all the world ut her feet, TO
poor little nobody, her indignation knew no
bounds.
1T is impossible, Percy" she cried
impossible, This is mad freak. The
girl"
Not single wore against her, mother,
pleasel" he said angrily; she is perfectly
innocent of this. She does not even know
how | feel. For all | can tell, she may re-
fuse me.
q =, ;l-al,~ L.
Flora, satiricallv.
Il think it is" answered Percy; Il know
she is too good for me, far"
Lady Flora laughed. In her anger and
disappointment she was scarcely mistress
of herself.
IF you take it in this way" said
Percy, rising.
oh stay moment, stay moment she
cried. Have little consideration for me,
Percyi"
If yon will consider me, mother, / will
consider you, SAID the young man. You
ought to treat me seriously-to treat me as
man. Do you think | would have come
to you before any one else-even her-if it
was not serious matter with me? Can't
we speak of it duietly?"
Il will try" she answered; but you must
have patience with me"
There followed long discussion. Lady
Flora tried her hardest to dissuade her son
from his purpose. She pointed out what
his exact position was. He had an allow
ance of one hundred and fifty pounds a
year from his father. This, as he was well
aware, had never covered his expenses in
the army. That his father would increase
his allowance on his marriage was unlikely
The property-this, perhaps, he had not
known before-was heavily burdened, and
op.1ts tIy-, laI. tba,r
were often hard put to it TO meet necessary
expenses. Necessary expenses with Lady
Flora included the season Ill town, a house
full of visitors In the country, elaborate
dinner parties, hunters, and carriage horses;
necessities they We're, for how could she
have done without them?
She was so determined to prevent him
from aliying himself with the pretty no.
body whom she had imprudently thrown in
bis way, that she exaggerated their emhar-
BASEMENT. "lou must See" she repeated,
again and again, "how impossible it is"
But Percy could not, or would not, see
any impossibility. 1T is only my own af-
fair. | shall not trouble either You or my
father for anything, he said. IF / choose
poverty, who is to blame me2"
But you are our only son; you have the
family TO consider
And / do consider the family, If l
bring the noblest and sweetest woman in
the world into the family, every member
Of the family ought 10 be grateful to me, !"
said Percy.
All Lady Flora could obtain from him,
finally, was that he would not speak to Let
tv until his father had been consulted, and
his mother had spoken to him again.
So it was decided between the moth
er and son; but another besides
themselves was to have voice in
it. Lefty, though she did not know it, had
long been in love, and her love history had
reached stage when a mere nothing-a
breath a whisper, the tone of a voice
brings revelation to the startled heart
Percy kept his promise of not speaking
to her. Lady Flora was equally prudent
But before the day was out her resolution
had been taken.
When Lady Flora was dressing for din
ner that evening, she knocked at her door,
and asked to speak to her. Permission was
given, much more coldlv than usual, and.
without so much as sitting down, the girl
said what she had to say.
Il must leave you,' she said abruptly
Then. a. Lady Flora looked at her like one
petritied, please don't ask me why. 1t is
hard enough as IT isl mean TO leave You
aud my dear little Ahlly, and this house,
where have been so happy"
w by should You leave: said Lady Flora,
her face assuming a stern expression, for
she could only suppose that Percy had
broken his engagement TO her 1T is right
that should ask. Has any one -
No one has done anything, broke in
Lefty. with feyerish haste no one has said
single word. Tell people so-Janet. and
Mrs. Mackenzie. and Milly. Say l am
tired OF the country-anything ANYTHING
only don't ask ME questions.
In spite of herself, in spite of the anger
that still burned within her. and her bitter
disappointment, Lady Flora was touched.
Ny dear, she said, in a changed voice.
ana looking anywhere rather than into
Lefty pale face, this is very sudden
hat do you intend 10 dos Have Won any
plans:
oh, yes. answered the voung girl. L
mean to Try and be a governess somewhere
else. If you would let me, should like 20
start at once. / suppose / could not 90
CARRIER than Tomorrow morning. Then
perhaps you would tell NE where IA 90
at tirst. have fifty pounds in the bank:
that viii keep NE for some time. And
then II you are kind enough TO say | SIN
tolerably good goveTness I shall soon Get
another situation. ! want to 20 a long.
long distance away-to America or Russia >
A feeling of tie deepest COMPASSION
came over Lady Floras heart as she list
ened TO those simple words. But for The
dignity of the family-but Tor those neees-
sary expenses which lad 10 be met if the
family was TO hold its own IN the world
she would have taken her little favorits m